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PAISLEY Park and Thyme Hill are set for a decider in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle which has attracted 51 entries for the three-mile contest at Cheltenham on March 18.
Paisley Park won the long-distance hurdlers’ crown in 2019 for trainer Emma Lavelle and jockey Aidan Coleman and heads the betting at 3-1 with the sponsors from the Philip Hobbs-trained Thyme Hill at 7-2.
Paisley Park and Thyme Hill have met twice this term with the score currently standing at once apiece after finishing first and second at Newbury on November 27 and Ascot on December 19.
At Newbury Thyme Hill won the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle by a length and a half from Paisley Park after the winner tracked the leaders for the bulk of the three-mile contest, led approaching the last and kept on strongly in the run-in from the staying-on Paisley Park.
The placings were reversed at Ascot in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle over an extended three miles where Paisley Park prevailed in a thrilling contest, heading Thyme Hill in the final strides after racing towards the rear initially, improving in the middle stages and keeping on strongly in the run-in to get his head in front just before the finishing line.
Paisley Park now appears likely to target a third consecutive win in the galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 30 enroute to the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Paddy Power himself said: “The staying hurdling division has arguably the greatest rivalry in jumps racing at present between former champ Paisley Park and young pretender Thyme Hill.
“It’s one all so far this season and while there’s a possibility they could lock horns again in the Cleeve Hurdle, Philip Hobbs has indicated the latter will probably go straight for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle when the argument can be settled once and for all.”
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle betting (sponsor’s odds): 3/1 Paisley Park; 7/2 Thyme Hill; 5/1 Champ; 7/1 Benie Des Dieux; 10/1 Sire du Berlais; 12/1 Fury Road, McFabulous; 14/1 Flooring Porter, Roksana; 16/1 If The Cap Fits, Next Destination, Pauls Saga, Ronald Pump; 20/1 Great White Shark, The Storyteller, Thomas Darby, Vinndication; 25/1 Beacon Edge, City Island, Dame De Compagnie, Emitom, Kemboy, Lisnagar Oscar, Summerville Boy; 33/1 Diol Ker, French Dynamite, Honest Vic, Itchy Feet, Kalashnikov, Main Fact, Sixshooter; 40/1 Bachasson, Bapaume, Commander Of Fleet, Lil Rockerfeller, Sam Spinner; 50/1 Bacardys, Call Me Lord, Reserve Tank; 66/1 Décor Irlandais, Imperial Alcazar, Sams Profile, The Mighty Don, Tobefair, Vision Des Flos, Younevercall; 100/1 Ask Dillon, Captain Zebo, Donnas Diamond, Heaven Help Us, Jacamar
PADDY POWER STAYERS’ HURDLE – Entries
Cheltenham March 18, 2021
Ask Dillon (IRE) 8 11 10 4 The Fun Partnership Fergal O’Brien
Bacardys (FR) 10 11 10 Shanakiel Racing Syndicate W. P. Mullins IRE
Bachasson (FR) 10 11 10 E. O’Connell W. P. Mullins IRE
Bapaume (FR) 8 11 10 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins IRE
Beacon Edge (IRE) 7 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
Call Me Lord (FR) 8 11 10 Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede Nicky Henderson
Captain Zebo (IRE) 9 11 10 Mrs S. F. Dixon John Dixon
Champ (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr John P. McManus Nicky Henderson
City Island (IRE) 8 11 10 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil IRE
Commander of Fleet (IRE) 7 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
Decor Irlandais (FR) 8 11 10 Mr John Devine Noel C. Kelly IRE
Diol Ker (FR) 7 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
Donna’s Diamond (IRE) 12 11 10 D&D Armstrong Ltd Chris Grant
Emitom (IRE) 7 11 10 The Spero Partnership Ltd Warren Greatrex
Flooring Porter (IRE) 6 11 10 Flooring Porter Syndicate Gavin Cromwell IRE
French Dynamite (FR) 6 11 10 Robcour M. F. Morris IRE
Fury Road (IRE) 7 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
Honest Vic (IRE) 8 11 10 Carole Daly & Partners Henry Daly
If The Cap Fits (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr Simon Munir & Mr Isaac Souede Harry Fry
Imperial Alcazar (IRE) 7 11 10 Imperial Racing Partnership 2016 Fergal O’Brien
Itchy Feet (FR) 7 11 10 Kate & Andrew Brooks Olly Murphy
Jacamar (GER) 6 11 10 Pegasus Bloodstock Limited Milton Harris
Kalashnikov (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr Paul Murphy Amy Murphy
Kemboy (FR) 9 11 10 Kemboy/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp Syndicate W. P. Mullins IRE
Lil Rockerfeller (USA) 10 11 10 Davies Smith Govier & Brown Neil King
Lisnagar Oscar (IRE) 8 11 10 Racing for Fun Rebecca Curtis
Main Fact (USA) 8 11 10 Munrowd’s Partnership David Pipe
McFabulous (IRE) 7 11 10 Giraffa Racing Paul Nicholls
Next Destination (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr Malcolm C. Denmark Paul Nicholls
Paisley Park (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr Andrew Gemmell Emma Lavelle
Reserve Tank (IRE) 7 11 10 The Reserve Tankers Colin Tizzard
Ronald Pump (GB) 8 11 10 Laois Limerick Syndicate Matthew J. Smith IRE
Sam Spinner (GB) 9 11 10 Caron & Paul Chapman Jedd O’Keeffe
Sams Profile (GB) 7 11 10 Michael O’Flynn/John F O’Flynn M. F. Morris IRE
Sire du Berlais (FR) 9 11 10 Mr John P. McManus Gordon Elliott IRE
Sixshooter (IRE) 6 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
Summerville Boy (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr R. S. Brookhouse Tom George
The Mighty Don (IRE) 9 11 10 Golden Rose Partnership Nick Gifford
The Storyteller (IRE) 10 11 10 Mrs Pat Sloan Gordon Elliott IRE
Thomas Darby (IRE) 8 11 10 Mrs Diana L. Whateley Olly Murphy
Thyme Hill (GB) 7 11 10 The Englands and Heywoods Philip Hobbs
Tobefair (GB) 11 11 10 Down The Quay Club Debra Hamer
Vinndication (IRE) 8 11 10 Moremoneythan Kim Bailey
Vision des Flos (FR) 8 11 10 Ann & Alan Potts Limited Colin Tizzard
Younevercall (IRE) 10 11 10 Youneverknow Partnership Kim Bailey
Benie des Dieux (FR) 10 11 3 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins IRE
Dame de Compagnie (FR) 8 11 3 Mr John P. McManus Nicky Henderson
Great White Shark (FR) 7 11 3 Mr Malcolm C. Denmark W. P. Mullins IRE
Heaven Help Us (IRE) 7 11 3 Mr J. Turner P. Hennessy IRE
Paul’s Saga (FR) 7 11 3 Gerald Laroche D. Cottin FR
Roksana (IRE) 9 11 3 Mrs Sarah Faulks Dan Skelton
*There is a scratchings deadline for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle on February 9, with the six-day confirmation stage and supplementary entry stage following on March 12.
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